Draw-in periscope.



A. GREBE.

DRAW IN PERISCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 1911.

1,298,333. Patented Mma'25,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W/T/VEsSES': INVENTOR wfwacz WM (540% w i Xvi/a ATTORNEYS A. GREBE.

DRAW IN PERISCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-2. 191:.

1,298,333; Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: I/NI/E/V r01? WQGAMM 29 mm We MATTORA/EYS ms NONI!!! #Evrns co.. Photo-urns, mmzmm n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT GREBE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRAW-IN PERISCOPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed April 2, 1917. Serial No. 159,128.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT GREBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-In Periscopes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the characters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to draw-in or disappearing submarine periscopes and has for its object to provide a periscope of this character having a water tight seal that may be loosened to permit the ready passage of the periscope tube therethrough, and tightened to prevent leakage after the periscope has been suitably raised or lowered, and also to provide a mechanism for supporting, raising and lowering the periscope which may be operated under control of the observer from within the vessel either by power or manually.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of portions of the hull of a vessel with the improved periscope fitted thereto, and with its sighting tube shown fully raised. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the tube fully lowered; Fig. 3 is an enlarged partly broken out sectional front elevation of the periscope tube and its actuating mechanism, and parts of the vessels hull to which the periscope foundation or support is secured. W

The numeral 1 indicates portions of the hull of a submarine, 2 indicates part of its conning tower, and 3 indicates a chamber connected to and supported by the parts 1, 2, and protectively inclosing upper portions of a periscope tube and its operating mechanism. The periscope tube or casing 4 is supported for lengthwise movement and for rotation about its axis in a stufling box 5 the outer wall 6 of which is a pendent tubular portion of a foundation or bedplate 7 bolted at 8 to the hull 1 around an opening 9 therein through which the periscope tube and portions of its operating mechanism pass in setting up the instrument. Within a counterbore of the stuffing box is placed any suitable elastic packing 10 surrounding the tube 4 and adapted for compression or release by a gland 11 shown screwthreaded at 12 into the stuffing box wall 6 and carrying a worm wheel 13 engaged by a worm 14 fast on a horizontal shaft' 15, rotatable in bearings bevel gears 19 on the shafts 15, 17 will turn the worm gearing 13, 14 to force the gland 11 inward to more tightly compress the packing 10 to make a positively fluid tight 'joint of it with the raised or lowered periscope tube 4, and when the wheel 18 is reversely turned slightly the gland 11 will be withdrawn sufficiently to temporarily release or loosen the packing 10 to an extentpermitting free upward or downward movement of the periscope tube in the stufling box with practically no obstructing friction at said box and therefore with a minimum expenditure of power. The loosened packing excludes water from the boats hull during raising or lowering of the tube and may absorb suflicient water to lubricate the moving tube.

To the lower end of the fixed stufling box wall 6 is bolted at 20 the upper flanged end of a deep collar 21 which loosely surrounds the periscope tube 4 and at its lower end fixedly carries a horizontal flange 22 which is bolted at 23 to a bearing ring 24 having pendent and preferably flared arms 25 fixedly carrying a ring 26 to which an internal gear ring 2 is held by screws 28 passed through a clamping ring 29 to the outer face of which is fixed a graduated pelorus ring 30 readable relatively to a suitable index not shown'because the ring scale and index form no part of this invention. The flange 22 and bearingring 24 preferably form an unpacked steadying bearing below the stuffing box 5 for the long periscope tube 4. The lower face of the flange 22 is peripherally recessed to loosely receive an inner annular flange bearing 31 formed on an offset ring 32 having a peripheral worm gear 33 engageable by a motor driven worm 34. Ball bearings 35 are preferably placed between the parts 22, 24, to minimize friction attending rotation of the worm gear flange bearing 31.

An electric motor 36 secured to the boat hull 1 drives any suitable intermediate mechanism rotating the worm gear 32 and the worm 34, the driving mechanism shown being a silent chain 37 running from a pinthe Worm 34. The shaft 40 is journaled in the short arm 41 of an elbow lever fulcrumed 1 7 tion thrust bearlng comprislng two races at 42 to brackets 43 fixed to a hanger 44 fastened oyerhead' to the basepl'ate of the motor 36. The long arm 45 of the elbow lever is formed as a handle which when manually lifted swings the wheel 39, the shaft 40 and 'th'e 'wonn 34 outward to disenga e the worm 34 from; the worm wheel To the rotatable" gear carrying bearing ring is bolted at 46 the flange of' an he ternal" gear ring 47 the teeth of wh'icli" are engaged hy two pinions 48 keyed tothe refdncledi lower 49 of two cl-iametriealiy opposite vertical shafts 50" having sereqw threads 51 on which travel the at each side of'the periscope tube4, two nuts 52 held ina yehe whieh is movable for raismg'and lowering the tube as the screw shafts arero titted together inane-direction or another either by the ihotor drivengearin 48; 47, 32 ,-3'3; 34 or manually as-the ring wenngeer 32,- es istu-rned 15y hand w1 1ee1'53 fixed 'to'it by pendent spokes 54. The lower jourale 49 of the shafts 50' rotatein bearings bolted at to facets on the fixed collar Abeve journal-49 each screw 50 is somewhat reduced in diameter thus providing a thrust shoulder 57 on the shaft about wtthe level of the top of the main; foundation '7 which isreeessed to provide aseat for the two races 58 and interposed balls 59 of antifri'ctiofi thrust ball bearing. upon whioh the shaft shoulder 57 rests and which is held in place be afian'ge'dcohar 6O suri eund iiig' an unthreadeii portion er theserew shaft fastened to the foundation 7 by 'bois'-61=. The inundation 7 also is reae's'sed 'ffolnbfe lo'w' to aeeormnodate a peeking and gienctstuflin'g box 62- ar'o'und the ft 50 below the thrust ball bearing, said ts tog- 6 2 forming intermediate bearingf" for the serew shaft.

The re nced lrpper jen'mal 63 of each serew shaft 50' rotates in ahearing 64 on a collar 65 loosely fitting the 'peris'oope tube 4 f-orrifing an upper guide for it while holding the two screw shafts parallel This bearing collar -65 has a'facet 66ihaving "threaded holes 67 adapted to" receive bolts holding it to a steadyi'ng adapter- 68 "which is bbl ted-to'th'e adjacent wall of the chamber 3,- 01' it be to the conning; tower 2. The nuts '52 fieng' agingthe shaft screw threads 51,

are preierahlymade separate froin'thetube ope ng yoke69a d areexternally threade ed to enga e" internal threads of the opposite end parts 70 of this yoke. At islower part the nut =52 h=as: a sli'oulder71 limiting the screwing of it into the yoke portion 70,"and

at its reduced upper end the nut'52 reeives by a finer or differential thread a-looking ring or nut 72 which overlies the yoke end 7 O and" prevents loosening ofthe nut 52dur-v ing its travel on the shaft 50L Theyoke se is centrall recessed deeply at 73' and at the bottom of this recess is placed an antifric- 70 74 and interposed balls 75. On this thrust bearing rests a composite thrust comprisihg an internally recessed annulus 76, a

split collet 77 resting in the recess of part 76 and having an inturned 'l i'p' orflange'fitting tightly within? circumferential groove 78 formed the periscoipe tube 4,- and a retain r in-g collar 79 screwed: into thetop of thepart 76,- and holdingthecollet securely in operative en agem nt with the tube gg'ii'oove 78.

A eap ring; 80 screwed into the .recess- 73 holds the thrust bearing parts- 74,! 75, and

the thrust ring parts 76;. 77 79', within the yoke recess" 73. As theserews some turned in one direction the nuts 52 and -theeonnected yoke 69will be raised to corresponding-ly raise the periscope tube 4 by the engagingcol let- 77 ,and if the screws be" turned in the opposite direction the yoke will be low redto lower the tube.

The perisc'op'e tube is usually madein two lengths and a coupling" 81 permanently connects the-two tube portions; Below this coupling is fixed to the tube-astopnring 89 which by striking the'foundation- 7j,r limits descent of the tube and supports it when the Periscope is not in use; The Periscope tube carries an objective head 83,- and has an ocular head 84 provided With. an eye piece V 85 into which the observer looks-to viewi'the images of ships or objects within-the field ofthe objective as the tube 4 is turned axially. 7T0 thus, turn "the tube there; is journa'led on the oeular head 84, -a; verti-e/'al 1-05 shaft 86 fixedly (3arrying;a pinion 87whioh connect the two shafts 8o; 8-8,"Whereby as the -wheel 89 is conveniently turned by the-observer looking into theneye piece 85, there- '1 15 tating pinion 87 by engaging the fixedinter- V nal gear 27, will axially turn thesntire perij scope tube 4 in either direction a's -oontrolljed by the directionof rotation of the wheel-89,

and thusthe entire horinon maybe scanned v as'desire'dby theobs'erver who walke -around I as the tube turns on its axis and whilehe is V protected within the hull 1 of theivessel,

During-i axial, turnin of tube 4 the thrust ring pa/r-ts 76; 7

, 7, 79 turn with -it gas;1'25 the ring t-i'l-r'ns uponthebaljl bearing .74,- :7'5 while the upper ballrace 74 may turn more i or less in the yoke 69; toin'inim-iz'e friotion and assure easytu-rning of the heavy tube by'nianually turning the. wheel 89, notwithn30 standing the water sealing tightness of the packing 10 around the raised tube. As the periscope tube 4 is lowered from the fully raised position of use shown in Fig. 1, the pinion 87 on the shaft 86 will be automatically disengaged from the fixed gear 27, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and when the tube is next raised the pinion 87 will automaticall mesh with the gear 27 in readiness for axially rotating the tube by turning the hand wheel 89.

lVhen the periscope is in its fully raised position as shown in Fig. 1, the observer while looking into the eye piece 85 may axially turn the entire periscope tube 4 in either direction and to any extent by operating the conveniently placed hand wheel 89, to point the objective head 83 at any desired portion of the horizon. Prior to movement of the periscope tube either upward or downward the tube packing 10 will be loosened by drawing back the gland 11, to assure quick and easy vertical adjustment of the tube, and after every such adjustment the packing will again be tightened on the tube by advancing the gland to effectually water seal the tube joint with the main stufling box 5.

Any suitable conductors may be used to connect the motor 36 with a source of electric energy, and any approved means such as a pole changer, may be used to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor to cause it to turn the screws 51 in reverse directions for raising and lowering the periscope tube, all as will readily be understood without special illustration.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a periscope, the combination of a foundation adapted to be fixed to the hull of a vessel and having an opening therethrough, an observation tube in said opening, a screw supported on said foundation and substantially parallel with said observation tube, and means for moving the observation tube in said opening when the screw is rotated.

2. In a: periscope, the combination of a foundation adapted to be fixed to the hull of a "essel and having an opening therethrough, an observation tube in said opening, a pair of screws supported on said foundation and substantially parallel with said observation tube, means operatively connecting said screws with said observation tube, and means for simultaneously rotating said screws for raising and lowering said observation tube on said foundation.

3. In a periscope, the combination of a foundation adapted to be fixed to the hull of a vessel and having an opening therethrough, an observation tube in said opening, a pair of screws supported on said foundation substantially parallel with said observation tube, means operatively connecting said screws with said observation tube, a ring gear for simultaneously rotating said screws in one direction or another for raising or lowering said observation tube, and a hand wheel for turnin said gear.

4. In a periscope, the combination of a foundation adapted to be fixed to the hull of a vessel and having an opening therethrough, an observation tube in said opening, a collar surrounding said observation tube and supported on said foundation, an internal gear mounted on said collar, means for raising and lowering said observation tube, and a gear on said observation tube.

In a periscope, the combination of a foundation adapted to be fixed to the hull of a vessel, and having an opening therethrough, an observation tube in said opening, a stufiing box in said foundation having a packing to water seal the observation tube,- mcans for rotating said observation tube, means for raising and lowering said observation tube, and means accessible to the observer for releasing said packing when the observation tube is raised or lowered.

6. In a periscope, the combination of a foundation adapted to be fixed to the hull of a vessel, and having an opening therethrough, an observation tube in said opening, a stufling box in said foundation having a packing to water seal the observation tube, a gland for applying pressure to said packing, a worm for actuating said gland, means for rotating said observation tube, means for raising and lowering said observation tube, and means accessible to the observer for operating said worm to release the packing when the observation tube is raised.

ALBERT GREBE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

